Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-06

made. The people of this city. howeyer: K y rsre ,r
ssnssis miitaSy ar, nee sscessIty. Their eoniidins
hope wss TO be rudely broken
In yoncer venerable church there were Two
pers-one occupied during all ths war py lns
iemily OF the President ot .ne Ton,sga,. ne gear
by n familyof General Lee. Inc fIosiaenI
and the General personally occupied tnoso
pews Whenever the emereent necesrities ~ .u2
vsr Permitted them TO do 70. Inc lue.uus, ,,, "
ono Sabbath morning In April. lsso. was uls.
turbed BY the delivery by The sexton OF sealed
message 10 The President cs he sat in his pc"
and his prompt retirement from The cnurch-
An imroudibg disaster was In the ar. inc cvn-
rresaticn dispersed under gloom. on.y 70 ~
made the grea,er as the day waxed and wancu-
The rssi of that sabbath was broken its
after hours we're 70 be consumed In mo Dusy
preparations for the departure OF tne Cyuieu,
erate Government, the State geserntle9r ana
all their Official othcrenis. Inc pafungs OF
hat evening and night, when tr1ithfuliy told,
outycice the fabulous or apoehrypnai slorios ~ ol
ancient or of modem oieges. rev eyes IN tnis
community were closed In quiet slumDef uu-
ring that succeeding night The morning
broke amid bolocatist Of fame which saluted
fhc occupancy Of tho besieging force.
Auid the ashes OF their property ana amid
the ashes Of their dead, who crowded ceme
teries upon either side, this people Yielded 70
hesicging force took possession OF tner CITY.
Eyery ytstiRe Of opposing authority, either
Confederate or State. had deserted them.
HOPING AGAINST HOPE.
But even then-in tho depth Of their own
humiliatlon--this people were not content 70
accept their calamity Ms decisive OF the nnsi
result. They were familiar with the historic
fact that the now imperial city OF New lork.
the now great commercial metropolis OF
America, was during many years OF our hsvo-
lutiupary struggle under the dominancy OF tne
British forces and me secure narp0rseo Toav Az or
serter-of the cause Of American independ-
once. As the patriots OF New York awaited In
hope ard prayer the coming OF evacuation-day,
20 old the men and women OF Hammond, even
In that. bour, cherish the fond pas .o ae-
ment Of their own choice and the vfndi.
cation in its return OF the ancestral
principles for which their newly dead In OAK
wood aud Hollywood had lived and fought aud
died.
FAITHFUL IN ADVERSELY.
Fidelity or disaster Is the crucial test OF trn5
manhood. and the crowning virtue OF all moral
character. From the ashes OF Richmond In
1865 the tue and good OF all coming vme VIII
take freeh inspiration In commenting ana en-
forcing that loftiest virtue, and the earnest,
broken prayers which went up amid the smoke
OF IFS ruins "out Of the depths were heard
on High and win be answered In showers oil
blessings upon the Richmond yet to be.
The deIusive hope OF immediate answer 10
thote prayers was OF short duration. The fall
of Richfnond was the fall Of the Confederate
cause. It's brief lived history has asclosed-closed
iorever--a and closed In disaster, but not In dis
grace.
THE FURLIyG OF THE FLAG.
The voice Of the outside world was that all
vas lost but honor, and its generous sympa'
tbies awaited the wall OF people In its wos
But no such wall was heard from this stricken
peCpie rs they furled forever the tatterel
Tag which had fostod dehantly upon ahundred
fields OF battle and beneath which the best
and purest blood which ever ebbed from pa
ffiot hearts had been freely shed In its defence.
They did not feel any occasion 10 protest In tho
face OF frowning fortune that IL was furled
without di, honor, nor did they feel that all was
lest.
Tfey felt and realized that In paths they
never contemplated the eyer-present Provi-
dence which had guided their fathers WIS
leading them, and, with the same brave, high
heart with which they had faced the response
biities Of q hopeful war. they set out 70 face
the more oifiloult responsibilities OF sadly
Disappointing peace.
FIRSyEss or PRINCIPLE.
The duties OF life are all relative, and neces-
,sffly chnnge with changing circumstance.
Neither communities nor individuals can a.
WAYS control those circumstances, bat the
uIiuCiUles which un0eflle any inttluSbub c5l4-
mate of duty are forever Interchangeable.
In adhering 10 those principles the ends va
aim nj nre not infreluently attained by the re-
yersal Of every present expectancy.
Man proposes but God disposes.
BRIrIsH VIEW OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
The most humillatng event to the pride Of
,te British people ia all their history was the
extorted ascent Of Parliament and King TO the
recognition OF the independence OF these
American States. Chatham fell upon the fiooI
of the House OF Lords In vehement remon
etrsnce against 10. His great heart broke IL
view Of the imminent result OF the principles
TO which he had consecrated the energies OF !
noble life. His dying protest only delayed the
result which no intelligent Englishman OF 70
day regrets.
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT.
We are suficientiy removed in time from IN,
| April OF 1896 10 think and speak calmly OF tha
| mart as Il reflects light upon our future. Th'
| passions and animo9ities Of war can ecarcell
be attributed TO boys and girls Of thirteen year
| OF age, who to-day a. mon and woman OF thii
| ty-nye constitute the present and daily. In
| crersiag majority 81 this people. The gray'
| IA day by day gathering In their seniors, Will
| the cradle Is recruiting their ranks. Upon then
and their succeeding race tho responsibilitle
| Of the future devolye--the destiny OF Rich
| mond, in It's grand expectaLcies, is, through
| MANY many opposing discouragments anl
| diniculiies-through many hesitating DOUBT
| and trials of their faith and their endurance
| to be achieved. They are here to-day 70 &c
| cent these responsibilities and TO plant In tn
| endeating grounds OF the cornerstone OF TN
| CITY Hall a token OF their covenant with tn
| rasi and the future.
HISTORICAL RESUME.
Judge Wexford then proceeded to make
, review Of the history Of Ricbmond-includin
necessarily much OF that OF the State-fron
| ~ ta ffv N
mentioning the capture Of this place by tn
British troops under Benedict Arnold, fol
lowed by the welcome appearance OF the Con
tipentnls under lafayette, and then the sur
render Of CORVALLIS at Yorktown, then tn
declaration Of peace. Following on the cuI
rent Of the years, he spoke In a mastery man
| ner OF Virginia's patriotism and sacrifices In III
formation Of tho Federal union aud OF her pei
miiiiDg the creation OF new States ou
of her northwest territory. Then he touche
upon the ,s,s growth the OF acoasiSo ac Soun NJ. %
territory by the Union until ne brought hi
ricure OF the past TO the rise OF the cloud OF wa
between the sections in the winter OF 1906
| Bere ne showed that Virginia In i775 was tn
favorite colony OF the mothercountry and couI
| have secured peace and the promotion OF ever
material interest II she had only bee
willing 20 abandon the gallant colonie
| OF New England. SO IL was In 1861. In
Charleston Of 1851" said ne, was to WI
II
| Almighty God In this century OF the Boston
| l715. and the guns which opened fire upon FoE
| Sumter in the April Of the nineteenth centur
| re.echoed In her ears the musketry OF th
yeomanry Of Massachusetts, In the April OF th
| last century.
Referring to Richmond as the capita
of the Confederacy, Judge Wellfor
said, "If this city had no other pas
and could have no future, the story c
the rise and fall of the Lost Caus
would make its name and memory In
mortal" The Judge concluded O
follows:
TIE REPROAcH or SLAVERY.
II was the misfortune aud not the volition I
| The South which subjected her 10 the weight
| hat burden and reproach. The institution
slavery was the common ler1tage OF all u
| states when they cast of the yoke OF Grei
| Britain. The Mother Country had mercilessl
imposed that burden upon them and again
| protest and remonstrnnce refused TO allow n
Colonial assemblies TO forbid or restrain u
importation Of slaves
the Guns OF the tropics, was Ill suited 70 II
rigors of northorn climate, and the souther
| colonies vero the chief victims OF the inhuma
policy Of Great Britain:
The time has come when the men Of III
South can be heard 10 repel tae imputstio
uron their people OF is6l-65, that they fougl
onlyto perpetuase the institution oil slavery.
THE TRUTH OF HISTORY.
The indi.putable facts OF the common hi
| tory OF this Union In its birth and its progrei
suffice 10 refute the charge, and they feel eyei
occasion 10 appeal 20 them. The record OF vi
einia Is clear. In her colonial days the voice
the representatives Of her people In their Gel
eral Assembly was Intellectual when the col
NAL Governor withheld his assent, and. even
| he granted IL, the absolute veto OF his hing,
| london. could nullify his action. But after u